Archive for November, 2010

Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem . . . He did right in the sight of the Lord according to all that his father Amaziah had done. He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God prospered him. 2 Chronicles 26:3-5

“Seek” (verb): to go in search or quest of; to try to find or discover by searching. To ask for; request.*

It’s worth it to seek God. As long as Uzziah sought the Lord, God prospered him—not just in economic terms, but in every area of his life. God’s presence and wisdom in our lives are more precious and vital than gold or any other substance of value (Proverbs 8:10-11). The qualifier, “as long as we seek God,” will help keep us from the lethargy and apathy that try to distract us from knowing the Creator of the Universe.

So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Luke 11:9

Continue seeking God. Everyone is excited when the start gun goes off at a race, but crossing the finish line is what really matters. Serve God your whole life. Don’t become satiated with the things of the world. Instead, let your life be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Let God fill your holidays. As you go into the holidays, spend some extra time seeking the Lord. Use your coffee break at work to pull out your New Testament and read some verses. Pray. Turn off the radio and use the moments in your car to talk to God. Seek God and invite Him to be number one in every area of your life.

Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually. Psalm 105:4

I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11b-13

While in prison, Paul wrote that he had learned how to stay settled and content—that in the best circumstances and in the worst circumstances, he could do all things through Christ. God has the capability and inclination toward meeting all of your needs—even when you are in the middle of a battle. Be assured that faithful is He who calls you and He will bring it to pass (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15:5

Through Jesus we can do all things, but without Him we can do nothing. Looking at these two sides of the same truth will keep us from both insecurity and pride. “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant” (2 Corinthians 3:5-6a).

Whatever your background, you need Jesus. And Jesus is available to all. Jesus’ strength is so real and deep—with it you can run the race to the end, experience answered prayer, have freedom from recurring addictions, get restored, overcome the works of darkness, stay plugged into church, and make a difference in our culture. The God who is urging you to stay connected, abide in Him, and look to Him for strength knows something about the abundance He has designed you to walk in! Expect amazing fruit to come as you abide in the Lord.

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:1-2a NKJV

The definition for traction is “the act of drawing or pulling.” In wheels and shoes, traction is represented by the adhesive grip that gives you the stability you need to make progress. Though we’ve never passed this way in life before, we can run this race with confidence because we know Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, has provided traction for each step of the journey.

God’s Word is the grip that is the surety under our feet—it’s the salt and the sand under our tires in the snow. He wants to reinforce traction and stabilize things so we can move forward in boldness.

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until the full day. Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. Proverbs 4:18, 25-26

But whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. 1 John 2:5-6

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. Galatians 5:16

Gaze straight ahead at God and only glance at your problem (Proverbs 4:25). God’s strategy for each one of us is that we don’t spin our wheels, stay stuck, or veer off course, but we connect with divine appointments, be strong, and do exploits.

Don’t underestimate your life. Jesus is the head of the Church and we are the body. While the world celebrates the visual part of the body, the seemingly unimportant things are what really make the body tick.

But now there are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable. 1 Corinthians 12:20-23

Jesus designed the Church to have variety, and each gift is important. If the little toe is missing from the foot, the whole body finds it hard to balance. Christianity is not about the performance of one celebrity or the function of a few “cool people,” but it is the “proper working of each individual part” (Ephesians 4:16)—that means you and your unique gifts are crucial, even if you feel like you are just a little toe!

There are different ways of serving God, but it is the same Lord who is served. God works through different men in different ways, but it is the same God who achieves his purposes through them all. Each man is given his gift by the Spirit that he may make the most of it. 1 Corinthians 12:5-7 J.B. Phillips Translation

The best way to understand God’s plan for the Church is to start with yourself and figure out what God’s particular gift-download is in you. As you meditate on the Word and see yourself how God sees you, you will break out of insecurity, painful comparisons, and others’ molds, and be who God called you to be!

Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity. Romans 12:2 J. B. Phillips Translation

No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; He’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; He’ll always be there to help you come through it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 The Message

You can be fully persuaded by the fact that God is consistent and never changes. He will never let you down. Put your full confidence in God because He is trustworthy and He loves you. “You are My servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you. Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:9b-10).

• Trust in Him for strength. God doesn’t get worn out or tired. Lean on Him and draw from that eternal strength.Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock. Isaiah 26:4

• Trust in Him for guidance. God’s GPS will never lead us wrong or guide us off a cliff. It will direct us through the battles and issues of life. He has answers corresponding to every situation.Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it. Psalm 37:5

• Trust Him in the dark. God’s Word is a light to our path and we need fear no evil, even if we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. (Psalm 119:105; 23:4). Our God who has brought us this far will continue to bring us through.Who is among you that fears the Lord, that obeys the voice of His servant, that walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God. Isaiah 50:10

• Trust in the Lord as a lifestyle. God is reliable beyond any other description of reliability. Victory doesn’t come so much from trying as it does from trusting. Trusting God in every area of our lives is how we will stay sustained in our relationships, get direction for life, and see a great harvest of souls!Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah. Psalm 62:8

You can trust Him with your life.
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®